Merging Core Strategy and Allocations documents - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

Hi Joanna,

It's only as complicated as you make it!

You should set out which new policies are replacing which core strategy policies, and that the rest of the core strategy remains untouched. As long as you set this out clearly, and let people know where the evidence is that has led to the need to replace those policies, you are on the right lines.

If you are concerned about challenges that you should be revising the whole of the core strategy, you can do a small amount of work to evidence why that isn't necessary.

A few key questions for you are:

Have you ensured that the policies you are replacing in the core strategy aren't linked to any others that would have to change as a result? - This requires no more than a quick 'policy audit' to make sure any others are picked up

Are the changes that you're making to the core strategy so fundamental as to change the overarching strategy which is being delivered? - You can self-assess this by looking at the original vision, aims and objectives of the core strategy. Set these out in a table and assess the new policies against them. Are the new policies still meeting those aims and delivering those objectives? If so, you are not fundamentally changing the strategy by changing these policies

Are the changes you are proposing making significant alterations to the geographical distribution already set out in the core strategy? Are new sites being consulted on? Will the introduction of those sites lead to a radically different distribution? Will new areas be affected which weren't before? It's not the scale of change per se that could lead to a call to review the whole core strategy, it's the impact. You could be delivering 'more of the same', such that the original focus on 'key urban areas, and main settlements' remains, but you're having to find more land. However, if you've made a commitment say, not to review the green belt, or develop in certain areas, and the new evidence is pointing to the need to now do this, you are more likely to be challenged that you are no longer delivering the core strategy as written, and a more fundamental review is required.

Can you point to, and describe simply, the evidence which has led you to make these changes? This could be new population projections, updates to economic or environmental evidence, or something in your monitoring report etc. It is not about only deciding to revise certain policies 'just because', it is about a proper response to evidence and monitoring (in relatively old term, it is 'plan, monitor and manage')

I'm happy to discuss this in more detail. You can contact me directly at adam.dodgshon@local.gov.uk

Hope this helps

Adam